Fort Bragg Unified

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Fort Bragg, California - 7 schools

An equity score of 60/100 ranks Fort Bragg Unified #513 of 1526 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,492 per pupil, Fort Bragg Unified ranks #913 of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,682
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$17,492
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Fort Bragg Unified operates 7 public schools serving 1,682 students, placing it among the smallest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 high, 3 elementary, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Mendocino County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,492 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1880 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.9% local, 51.5% state, and 12.7% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 60/100, ranked #513 of 1526 in California against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 246.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 35.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 42.4% White, 40.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Redwood Elementary, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.

Its largest campus is Fort Bragg High, enrolling 569 students (34% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Shelter Cove, at 5 students, a 114x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Fort Bragg High accounts for 33.8% of all Fort Bragg Unified student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Fort Bragg Unified-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Fort Bragg Unified school enrollment varies 114× across entities

Fort Bragg Unified school enrollment ranges from 5 students (lowest) to 569 students (highest), a spread of 564 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Fort Bragg Unified reports 66.1% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Fort Bragg Unified student-counselor ratio is 247:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Fort Bragg Unified chronic absenteeism rate is 35.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

12.7%
Federal
51.5%
State
35.9%
Local

Funding Equity

60
Equity Score
513 / 1526
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in Fort Bragg Unified.

White 42.4%
Hispanic or Latino 40.6%
Multiracial 14.8%
Other 1.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 60.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Fort Bragg Unified's schools, above the California average of 46.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Redwood Elementary 66.3
  2. 2 Noyo High (Continuation) 64.8
  3. 3 Lighthouse Community Day 61.1
  4. 4 Fort Bragg Middle 61.0
  5. 5 Dana Gray Elementary 58.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
3 AP courses total
246.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
35.0%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Fort Bragg Unified

School Enrollment
Fort Bragg High
569
Fort Bragg Middle
376
Redwood Elementary
343
Dana Gray Elementary
342
Noyo High (Continuation)
27
Lighthouse Community Day
7
Shelter Cove
5

How Fort Bragg Unified Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Mariposa County Unified Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Central Union Elementary Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Live Oak Elementary Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Merced County Office of Education Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Soquel Union Elementary Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Fort Bragg Unified's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in California

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Los Angeles Unified
427,795 students · 785 schools · $22,606/pupil
Compare vs Fort Bragg Unified →
San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $20,783/pupil
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Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,909/pupil
Compare vs Fort Bragg Unified →
Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $18,419/pupil
Compare vs Fort Bragg Unified →
Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $15,921/pupil
Compare vs Fort Bragg Unified →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Fort Bragg Unified

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Los Angeles Unified →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Fort Bragg Unified?

Fort Bragg Unified has 7 schools, including 3 high, 1 middle, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,682 students.

How much does Fort Bragg Unified spend per student?

Fort Bragg Unified spends $17,492 per student. The district has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #513 in California.

What is the demographic composition of Fort Bragg Unified?

Fort Bragg Unified students are 42.4% White, 40.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% African American, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Fort Bragg Unified?

Fort Bragg Unified has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #513 out of 1526 districts in California.